Maternity photos are often overlooked and not considered important. To me this is one of the most magical experiences you can have in your life, and this moment deserves to be documented.

When should I schedule maternity photos?

I prefer to schedule your maternity session shortly after you've told friends and family the exciting news. This will give us plenty of time to find a great day that works well for both of us. Maternity photos are typically taken when you're showing – usually between 29 to 36 weeks (6 to 8 months) into your pregnancy. If your schedule does not allow for that, I will work with you on timing.

What should I consider when planning outfits for my maternity photos?

My biggest piece of advice is to wear something you feel both comfortable and beautiful in. Choose a top or dress that is form-fitting, enough to showcase your baby bump. Wear a supportive, nude colored, well-fitting bra. I know that breasts change during pregnancy, so pick up a new bra that fits great before our session to avoid discomfort. If you are having trouble, Pinterest is a wonderful inspiration source and I also have a few dresses in my studio wardrobe that you might like.

Does the photo session take place in a studio or on location?

One of the best parts about a maternity photo session with me is the fact that you can choose to have the session in my home studio in Walnut Creek or we can go to a location. No matter what you choose, I will guide you through every step so you can enjoy this beautiful moment.

If you choose to have the session in your home or a location outdoors, it will be a “lifestyle” session. If you choose to have the session in my home studio, it will be a more “posed” session.

What is the process like?

All maternity sessions include a consultation where we will discuss your vision for your maternity photo shoot. I will learn from our conversation and create a session completely tailored to you. Once the session is booked, I will send you a guide filled with tips to prepare for your session.

What products do you offer?

I believe in the power of prints and with me you get the best of both worlds. I offer a beautiful image box that includes up to 20 matted images plus the digital files for safekeeping and social media sharing. I also offer wall art that will make your photos beautiful artwork for your home that features your family.

Those first few weeks after your child is born are life changing. It's as if your whole world has opened up and you've discovered that life wasn't as bright or colorful before your baby entered the world.

I want to capture what you're feeling. I want you to remember each precious moment as you welcome your baby to the world. Those are moments so precious that you can't even describe them with words. People say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but when the photos are of your brand new addition to the family, they are worth far more.

What will be captured?

In addition to photographs of the family together, my newborn sessions also include a series of photographs taken of just your baby. For example, details like their little feet, beautiful tiny hands, that button nose and tuft of fluffy hair. In addition to the details, I'll also photograph your newborn resting peacefully. Perhaps in a cozy, comfortable nook or on top of the blanket he'll/she’ll sleep with for years to come. My camera knows no bounds.

What is your style?

Deciding what type of style you want will ensure that you get the newborn pictures that you want. There are two main styles that I focus on. You can do a mix or one or the other.

Lifestyle: The easiest way to describe lifestyle newborn photos is by calling it “a day in the life”. I arrive at your home with my camera and capture the tiny moments that happen in your new life with your baby. Think of snuggling in the couch with your baby or even giving your baby a bath. I will be there to capture the beauty of this new journey.

Posed: The posed sessions take place in my home studio in Walnut Creek and have more of a clean studio feel. Your baby will be safely posed in my posing bag and we will go through a beautiful set of poses to create timeless images. We will also include images of the whole family together that will focus on the connection and love between you.

Where is your studio? Can you come to us?

I know you're going to be exhausted. One of the best parts about a newborn photo session with me is the fact that you can choose to have the session in my home studio in Walnut Creek or I can go to you! No matter what you choose, I will guide you through every step so you can enjoy this beautiful moment.

If you choose to have the session in your home, it will be a “lifestyle” session. If you choose to have the session in my home studio, it will be a “posed” session. The emphasis is on your newborn, but I also encourage you to exist in photos for your baby. These images will be priceless to your baby.

When should I schedule the newborn or baby photo session?

The earlier the better! It is best to schedule the session around your 6th month of pregnancy to secure the session date and plan everything so we are ready when baby arrives. The best time for newborn photos is between 4 and 14 days of being born. This timeframe allows me to capture that “curly” look. While beautiful images can be captured at any stage newborn photos should be captured before 6 weeks. Keep in mind that once beyond those first 14 days I will not be able to get the sleepy, curled poses.

The first year flies by fast which is why after the newborn stage, I recommend doing the baby plan to document their growth and have the full experience of your baby’s first year. Contact me so we can talk about all the packages available to capture the journey.

What can you expect from me?

My baby photography style can be described as simple, timeless and genuine. I love to keep newborn photos simple, without overpowering them with props. I want your images to resemble your true selves. Raw connection, emotion, and being in the moment is what drives my heart to capture images that will become part of your family legacy.

What products do you offer?

I believe in the power of prints and with me you get the best of both worlds. I offer a beautiful image box that includes up to 20 matted images plus the digital files for safekeeping and social media sharing. I also offer wall art that will make your photos beautiful artwork for your home that features your family.

How do I prepare for my session?

All newborn sessions are tailored specifically to you and your baby and include a consultation session. We will discuss ideas on style, colors, and wardrobe. I will work closely with you and learn from your ideas and expectations to make sure that you will have a newborn photo session that you will love. Once your session is booked, I will send you a Newborn Guide with plenty of tips on how to prepare for your baby’s first photo session.

Personal Branding Experience

" I really enjoyed the connection between photographer and artist. It was a great experience connecting and getting to know another person from a different art medium. It is great to see things through someone else’s eyes. I liked seeing how a photographer looks at things and how she interprets them.

I also liked the documentation of the process. Since I usually work alone in my studio, most of the photos taken are of the final product. It was great being able to see visually how pieces are being created from start to finish.

Branding is not only a name and a logo. It is an extension of who you are as a business. As an artist, your brand showcases many things; your artwork, your ideas, your projection to the world, your soul as an entity. If the branding is done correctly, it allows the viewer to have a clearer picture of who you are and what your business is about. Yes, art is very subjective and it is open to interpretation, however, business it is not. A branding session allows for the subject to be able to showcase their business, show their core, and reach out to their customer / consumer / client / fan / follower with a better understanding about it. As a ceramic sculptor, it has allowed me to present my artwork and to define who I am as a working artist. "

About Flora Art Studio

" I am the main force behind it, and it is through my own creativity that I come out with some out of the box ceramic art pieces. Flora Art Studio was born as a side project over a decade ago. After attending the University of Hawaii and obtaining a BFA in Ceramics, it was something that I tackled here and there after my regular job. I never thought I could make a living out of it. I always had in my head that I had to have a “proper job” and that being an artist full time was only for daydreamers. Years later I got an MFA in graphic design from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and it was during that time, along with some personal changes in my life, that I finally took the plunge and decided to make a go at it. Ceramics had always been my first love, and I wanted to give it the real chance to succeed. Flora Art Studio was no longer a weekend hobby but a full on artistic business. "

" While living in Barcelona (where I am originally from) I took a ceramics class after work as a hobby. We hand built mostly houses, leaves, and very basic forms, but I was instantly hooked on it. I love everything about clay… the color, the texture, the plasticity, the smell (yes! even the smell) I like that it offers many possibilities, endless, I would say. With other mediums, such as woodworking, for example, if you make a mistake, that’s it, you cannot put it back together, or if you do, it may be a weak joint. Ceramics allows you the possibility of making mistakes, correct them, and keep on building. Also, call me old fashioned, but living in a high tech world, where we spend so much time in front of the computer in our cyber life, I love that ceramics is something tangible; something tactile. It makes it real if I can hold it in my hands. "

" It will all start with an idea, like all things. The idea may come from different and a variety of sources. From there, I may do a little bit of research on the topic, especially imagery driven. After that, anything goes. I will “play” with clay until I find the right fit for the image or look and I am aiming for. I usually work in series, which allows me to explore a specific theme across various pieces. This serves me as a way to dig deeper in the subject matter of the series, or, in all honesty, to keep on enjoying the process. After the pieces are done, I will fire them once or twice, depending on their desired finished look. My artwork sometimes can be seen as dark in nature, but I usually off balance it with the use of color. My upbringing in Barcelona, can be seen in my choices of finished looks. Color, texture and pattern are a huge part of my pieces. I suffer from Horror Vacui (In visual art, horror vacui (from Latin "fear of empty space"), also kenophobia, from Greek "fear of the empty"), is the filling of the entire surface of a space or an artwork with detail), but I am ok with that. I guess in my world, more is more, and I thoroughly enjoy that as part of the process.

There is no other place that I would rather be than in my studio creating new pieces. My motivation is the creating itself. While I am working on something, sometimes it sparks a new idea for another series, so I am already thinking what could be next. There are endless possibilities and it always exciting finding out what those can bring you.

I thoroughly enjoy also how the artwork is received by other people. I hear all kinds of comments about my pieces. Some of them can be quite shocking, however, I do not mind the commentaries. I, myself, view artwork that way; it should spark some kind of reaction out of you, good or bad, but it should never leave you indifferent. What keeps me going is the idea of creating and the reception of that creation. "

What inspires you?

" So many things… some of them can be quite personal in nature, such as a devastating divorce (The Dissolution Series came from that), or being in love again (The Breathless Series came from that) Other times can be from my many travels, such as the Lucha Libre Ghost Babies Series, from a trip to Mexico or perhaps something I read or saw on a movie, such as the Phobia Series. I learned a lot about the strangest phobias that people have, haha!

I have many idols, in and out of the clay community. Ceramic artists such as Lisa Clague, Sergei Isupov, Richard Notkin, Marie Gibbons, etc. are always a source of inspiration via their work. On the other hand, other artists and designers such as Frida Kahlo, Javier Mariscal, Paul Frank, Salvador Dali, Edward Gorey, etc. are also references that I look up to when working on my artwork. I love reading and mostly watching films, subtitles welcomed. I draw from anything and everything. "